Port traffic keeps increasing

The Port of Los Angeles saw a 16.3 percent increase in the number of containers handled last month compared with a year earlier. That breaks down to a 17.6 percent increase in import containers and a 24.8 percent increase in export containers. The higher numbers are probably due to the port's extended hours, as well as the increased numbers of dockworkers. The Port of Long Beach saw a 7.3 percent increase in November. Not everyone is thrilled with the added business - namely neighborhood groups and environmentalists that worry about increased growth resulting in more congestion and pollution. L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has called for environmentally responsible growth, which would be great if someone could figure out what that actually means. (Efforts to significantly limit the levels of diesel gunk getting into the air are still a long ways off from happening.) Looking at the bright side, at least L.A. doesn't have to worry about losing business to Oakland or other ports along the coast. The predicted defection after the dockworkers slowdown a couple of years back never materialized.